The SC dismissed a petition that sought action against members of the Gujjar community for holding several parts of the country to ransom.
NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Thursday dismissed a petition that sought action against members of the Gujjar community for holding several parts of the country to ransom by indulging in violence on the issue of community's demand for ST status.
A vacation bench of Justices Arijit Pasayat and G S Singhvi directed the petitioner Lakhan Singh to approach the Rajasthan High Court for appropriate remedy as the latter was already dealing with the issue.
The bench also questioned Pallav Shishodia, counsel for the petitioner, as to why he did not approach the apex court immediately after the agitation turned violent a year ago.
It pointed out that since the petitioner had moved a petition before the High Court, he was bound to wait for its verdict on the issue.
Lakhan Singh in his petition before the apex court had alleged that the Rajasthan Government despite specific directions from the High Court to act tough in preventing violence had been going soft on the community's agitators due to political compulsions.
Singh in his petition submitted that the Gujjar leaders like Kirori Singh Bainsla and Roop Singh had committed contempt of the Rajasthan High Court by defying the various orders passed by it.
According to the petitioner, the Rajasthan High Court in a series of directions had restrained the Gujjar community from indulging in violence, "rasta roko" and bandhs that could violate the Fundamental Rights of the citizens.
But despite the directions, the Gujjar community, had resorted to large scale violence in Rajasthan and several other northern States to put pressure on the Government for granting it ST status.(more)
The petitioner, earlier, alleged that on May 20, the sub-divisional magistrate, Hindaun, had issued arrest warrants against Bainsala and Roop Singh, but the arrests were not executed by the police due to instructions from the "higher-ups".
The petitioner listed a number of incidents during the past one month wherein the Gujjar community had indulged in "rasta roko," disruption of train services and normal life.
According to the petitioner, though they had approached the High Court, a vacation judge had tagged the matter along with other a connected matter for hearing only on July 3.
Singh claimed that he was constrained to approach the "extraordinary circumstances to seek immediate relief and succour so as to avoid enormous public sufferings and hardships."
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